Adjusting and latch means for slidable side jaw wrenches



Nov. 3, 1953 K. F. FINN 2,657,606

ADJUSTING AND LATCH MEANS FOR SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCH Filed Jan. 17,1952 If ,4 Q #4 INVENTOR.

BY N

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATE ADJUSTING AND LATCH MEANS FORSLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCHES' Kenneth F. Finn, Omaha, Nebr.

Application January 17, 1952, Serial No. 266,983

This invention relates to adjustable wrenches and more particularly itis an object of the invention to provide a more tightly gripping wrench.

A particular object is to provide a wrench having means for fastadjustment for use in sequence.

Another object is to provide such a wrench which has work engagingsurfaces which move toward each other linearly during each adjustment soas to avoid the disadvantages of wrenches of the prior art, the worksurfaces of which do not move linearly.

Yet another object is to provide a wrench, the tight adjustment of whichis made by a lever for good clamping action.

A further object is to provide a wrench which is usable on pipe andround surfaces as well as on nuts and bolts.

Still a further object is to provide a wrench which can be economicallymanufactured by making use of presently mass-produced parts.

Another object is to provide a wrench, the parts of which can be readilydisassembled for clean- A further object is to provide compactness inthe wrench for ease of storage and marketable appearance.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for thepurpose described which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliableand efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following detailed description, drawings andclaims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawingsthemselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating away in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalentprinciples may be used and structural changes may be made as desired bythose skilled in the art without departing from the present inventionand the purview of the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wrench. Op-

tional positions of the movable jaw and the operating position of thelever are shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a view of the worm as seen along the line 22 of Figure 1, around section of the axle portion of the lever being shown in crosssection disposed in a rectangular cross sectioned outer end of the worm.A circular cross sectioned inner surface of the worm being shown indotted lines.

4 Claims. (Cl. 81165) Figure 3 is a view of the worm and lever with thehandle portion of the lever turned at an angle of approximatelytwenty-five degrees. The lever and worm in Figure 3 are drawn on alarger scale and differently proportioned than in Figure 1 and the wormis shown in cross section. A portion of the rectangular cross sectionedinner end of the lever is broken away to show a ball and springassembly.

Figure 4 is a view-in-section taken through a lever holding lock alongthe line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view-in-section taken along the.

line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The wrench of this invention is provided with a stationary jaw membergenerally indicated at It and having an elongated handle portion i2 atone end provided with an aperture M as is conventional. v

The stationary jaw member I0 is provided with a work engaging surface l6which is inclinedly disposed with respect to being generally alignedwith the handle [2. The surface I6 is provided with a series oftransverse notches l8 for gripping pipes and other rounded objects. Thenotches I8 are centrally disposed and on either side thereof are fiatsurfaces for engaging the flat surfaces of bolts, nuts and the like.

The wrench is further provided with a movable jaw or side jaw member 24slidably mounted on the stationary jaw member Iii for linear movementthereon. The member 24 has a work engaging surface 25 having centrallydisposed transverse notches 26 for gripping rounded surfaces and flatsurfaces on either side disposed opposite the work engaging surface itof the stationary jaw member 16.

The movable jaw member 24 has an elongated transverse lower portion 28provided with a linear row of rack teeth 30 thereon, the portion 28being received in a suitable slot in the jaw'member it as is old in theart.

The stationary jaw member it is further provided with apreferablyrectangular worm opening 34 extending therethrough for receiving a:knurl or worm 36 provided with external spiral screw threads 38. Thethreads 38 are operably' received in the teeth 30 of the movable jawmember 2d. All of the foregoing is old and conven tional in the art andthe new features of this- The axle portion 54 is rotatably received inan axial opening through that portion 58 of the stationary jaw member 10which is between the rectangular opening 34 and the exterior of thestationary jaw member [0. The innermost end of the axle member 54 isrotatably received in a recess 64 having cylindrical axle walls, therecess 64 extending into the stationary jaw member 10 from a surface ofthe opening 34, as best seen in Figure 1.

The axle portion 54 of the axle 50 has a cylindrical end section 63 forreception in the recess 64 and has a section I rectangular in crosssection extending from a portion 68 to another cylindrical section E4 ofthe axle portion 54, as best seen in Figure 3.

The cylindrical sections 68 and 14 are of a diameter equal to thethickness from flat side surface to opposite flat side surface of thepolygonal cross section 10, here being shown for example as rectangular.

As thus described it will be understood that the axle portion 54 isslidably longitudinal of the worm 38, the worm 38 having a hollowinterior opening at each end, the hollow interior having a cylindricalshaped left hand inner portion 80 of a diameter larger than the cornerto corner thickness of the section 10, as best seen in Figure 3.

The hollow interior of the knurl 38 further has an outer or right handportion of a rectangular cross section 84 as seen in Figures 2 and 3.The thickness of the section 84 from fiat surface to opposite flatsurface is the same as the diameter of the portion !4 of the axleportion 54 0f the lever 50 whereby the portion 14 is snugly but slidablyreceived in the portion 84. The portion has a small recess 80 extendinginwardly for receiving a spring 92 beneath a ball 94. The ball 94 isadapted to be disposed with its major portion inside the recess 92 and aportion extending outwardly of the recess 92 to bear against the innersurface of the hollow portion 80 of the worm 3B. The outer edge of thewalled recess 90 is peened inwardly to prevent the ball 94 from escapingfrom the recess 90.

The proportions of the axle portion should be such that when the lever50 is pulled out into the dotted line position, Figure 1, that the ball94 is disposed in the right end of the portion 80 against one of thefour shoulders 98 disposed at the junction of the walls of the portions80 and 84.

The length of the axle portion 54 must be such that the inner endthereof does not come out of the recess 64 when the lever 50 is in thedotted line position.

It will be seen that the lever 50 can be removed from the knurl andstationary portion ill for replacement or cleaning.

The axle portion 54 of the lever 50 is connected to the straight handleportion 56 of the lever by a reverse curved portion I39 which curvessharply inwardly toward the handle 12 of the wrench adjacent the outerend of the axle portion 54 and then bends downwardly to connect to thehandle portion 56 which latter is disposed in approximate parallelism tothe handle ll. of the wrench.

The lower end of the handle portion 56 of the lever 50 has a recess H0shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 for receiving a ball H2 mounted in aprotrusion I I4 attached to and extending transversely outwardlytherefrom the handle l2 by a nib shown in dotted lines at H6 in Figurel.

The ball H2 is urged outwardly of a recess H8 in the protrusion M4 by aspring I26. The edges of the recess H8 are peened inwardly at 524 tohold the ball.

It will be seen that the ball H2, spring 20 and protrusion I I4 form aclasp for holding the lower end of the lever 50 in place when it is notbeing used. The lever 50 can be pushed 01f of the ball H2 and thenpulled into the outer dotted line position. It is preferable that theinner corner of the lowermost end of the lever handle 56 be slanted asbest seen at I32 so as to more easily clear. the protrusion H4 in use.

As thus described, it will be seen that the worm 36 is a conventionalmanual device for adjusting the slideable jaw 24, and that the leverforms a mechanical means operatively associated with the manual wormdevice and movable relatively to the worm device into clutching anddeclutching relationshi therewith for selectively operating the worm 36with mechanical advantage superior to manual force.

The specific clutching and declutching means shown is but one example ofcomplementary clutching and declutching formations.

It will be seen that this invention has provided an adjustable worm-typewrench improvement making possible the tight gripping of a nut or arounded surface without impairing the fast worm adjustment.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that anadjustable wrench constructed in accordance with my invention isparticularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will alsobe obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change andmodification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof,and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself tothe precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shownin carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a slidable side jaw wrench provided with an elongated handle, ahead portion attached to said handle at one end thereof, a fixed jawprotruding outwardly from said head portion, said fixed jaw having awork engaging surface, said head portion having a worm openingtherethrough extending generally transversely to said work engagingsurface; a slidable jaw cooperating with the stationary jaw in grippingan object, teeth on the slidable jaw extending into said worm opening;an adjusting worm disposed in said opening and cooperating with theslidable jaw teeth in moving the slidable jaw with respect to thestationary jaw, the axis of said Worm being in parallelism with thesliding motion of said jaw, said worm having an axial openingtherethrough, the improvement which consists of: an axle rotatablymounted in said head and extending from said worm opening through oneside of said head, said axle being slidable endwise with respect to saidhead, said axle and the walls of said axial worm opening havingcomplementary clutching and declutching portions whereby when said axleis in an outer position said clutching portions are in engagement andwhen said axle is in an inner position said clutching portions aredisengageda lever permanently attached to the outer end of said axle andextending transversely to said axle; means for preventing said axle fromcoming entirely out of said worm in normal use, said r' handle having aprotrusion projecting transversely outwardly therefrom at the outer endof said lever; and means removably holding said outer end of said leverin a fixed position with respect to said handle protrusion.

2. In a slidable side jaw wrench provided with a handle, a head portionattached to said handle, said head portion having a fixed jaw protrudingoutwardly therefrom, said fixed jaw having a work engaging surface, saidhead portion having a worm opening therethrough extending generallytransversely to said work engaging surface; a slidable jaw cooperatingwith the stationary jaw in gripping an object, teeth on the slidable jawextending into said worm opening; an adjusting worm disposed in saidopening and cooperating with the'slidable jaw teeth in moving theslidable jaw with respect to the stationary jaw, the axis of said wormbeing in parallelism with the sliding motion of said jaw, said wormhaving an axial opening therethrough, the improvement which consists of:an axle rotatably mounted in said head and extending from said wormopening through one side of said head, said axle being slidable endwisewith respect to said head, said axle and the walls of said axial wormopening having complementary clutching and declutching portions wherebywhen said axle is in an outer position said clutching portions are inengagement and when said axle is in an inner position said clutchingportions are disengaged; means for manually rotating said axle; andmeans for preventing said axle from coming entirely out of said worm innormal use.

3. In a conventional slidable side jaw wrench provided with a worm andrack form of adjusting means for the slidable jaw, the improvement whichinclude complementary polygonal formations provided on and extendingaxially within the worm and on an exterior cooperating surface of aworm-adjusting means, respectively; said worm adjusting means beingaxially movable from a position in which the polygonal formations aredisengaged to a position in which they are engaged; said worm adjustingmeans including a torque-applying means for rotating said worm, when thepolygonal formations are engaged, and for locking the worm and slidablejaw in work-clamping positions; said wormadjusting means, when thepolygonal formations are in disengaged position, being freely rotatablewith respect to the worm, so that the worm then may be manually adjustedin the ordinary manner.

4. In a conventional slidable side jaw wrench provided with a worm andrack form of adjusting means for the slidable jaw, the improvement whichincludes complementary clutching and declutching formations provided onand extending within the worm and on an exterior cooperating surface ofa worm-adjusting means, respectively; said worm-adjusting means beingaxially movable from a position in which the clutching and declutchingformations are disengaged to a position in which they are engaged; saidw0rmadjusting means including a torque-applying means for rotating saidworm, when the clutching and declutching formations are engaged, and forlocking the worm and slidable jaw in workclamping positions; saidworm-adjusting means, when the clutching and declutching formations arein disengaged position, being freely rotatable with respect to the worm,so that the worm then may be manually adjusted in the ordinary manner.

KENNETH F. FINN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

